“Do you do this kind of thing often?” she asked, admiring the ease at which he adapted to new situations.
“Sometimes. I really don’t like spending much time alone in my apartment.”
Veronica could understand that but didn’t comment. Alone time was good, but too much of a good thing was not.
Joel held a hand up and guided her to sit before him, his chest to her back, his arms wrapped around her. They sat that way for a long time, watching the waves roll in, just enjoying being close to one another. The sexual chemistry between them slowly started to build, and soon, she had turned in his arms and they were kissing and petting one another over the clothing.
“Let’s go up there,” he whispered, pulling her to her feet and gathering up the blankets. He guided her across the sand to the farthest cabana. There were battery operated lamps hanging just inside, and he lit them both before spreading the blankets out again on the floor of the tent-like structure.
“Now, where were we?” Joel unbuttoned her jacket and shirt, leaving them on for the moment, but using his hands and lips to drive her wild. He licked and sucked on her breasts while she buried her hands in his hair and directed him. Then it was her turn, and she loosened his shirt and the front of his pants. He leaned back, giving her access to slip her hand beneath the waistband of both his jeans and his boxers, stroking him until he was groaning with each whisper touch.
“I have to have you now.”
“How?” she asked, breathless from the sensual onslaught his hands had been delivering to her willing body.
“I brought a sleeping bag, and we can crawl inside.” He spread out the bag and she crawled inside, leaving room for him to join her. The air was changing, and she shivered as he slipped her shirt and pants from her body, having already removed his own. Once they were both naked, he hugged her close, using his hands on her back to warm her up. The lay like that for several long moments, letting their body heat mingle and chase away the chills caused by the November air.
The tempo changed, and soon, they weren’t content to simply be next to one another; they needed to explore. Veronica moved her hands all over Joel’s body, mapping the muscles of his back and butt and then moving her hands around to his front to repeat the exercise, stopping once she reached the apex of his thighs and his very rigid cock.
She stroked him, all the while reveling in the small touches and explorations his own hands were performing. When he pressed his palm against her core and then slowly pushed one finger inside of her, she moaned and squeezed him, eliciting a similar sound from him.
“I would love to keep playing like this, but I’m just about out of patience,” Joel told her as he took her lips in a passionate kiss.
Veronica was in a similar state of mind and spread her legs, guiding him to her core and then sighing as he slowly filled her. He kept moving forward until he was fully seated inside of her, pulling her thigh high up on his hip to open her even more to his possession.
“You feel amazing,” he murmured against her cheek.
Her response was to tighten her inner muscles, earning a groan from Joel at the same time as his self-control snapped. He pressed her back into the cloth-covered sand, grabbed her other thigh and pulled it equally high up on his hips and then set up a driving rhythm. Veronica met him thrust for thrust, her hands digging into his back as she neared completion.
“Joel,” she breathed raggedly as she struggled to hold back her orgasm just a few seconds longer. “I’m almost there.”
“Good. Come with me.” He thrust once, twice, and a third time, holding himself deep inside of her as his body quaked and spasmed in the throes of an orgasm beyond explanation. Veronica’s body tightened around him, draining his body of all energy as they both finished and floated back down to earth.
“Wow,” Joel chuckled in her ear.
Veronica turned her head and took his lips in a kiss that quickly spiraled into another round of lovemaking. For her, this was no longer about sex, but a genuine sharing of herself with Joel. He made love to her thoroughly all night long, and each time she became more and more convinced that what they had was the real thing.
Sometimes, their coming together was sweet and tender, and at other times the fire burned brighter, and they came together in a tangle of limbs, racing one another for the goal line, but never getting too far ahead before pulling back.
They fell asleep in the wee hours of the morning, still joined, her arms wrapped around his chest while her head rested in the crook of his shoulder. She opened her eyes just before sunrise, snuggling closer to Joel’s warmth, and willing the day to hold off just a little bit longer.
She fell back to sleep, the stars disappearing as the sun rose in the distance, the sound of the waves a lullaby provided by Mother Nature. Joel pulled her closer and kissed her head before sighing and falling back to sleep. She followed suit, pushing aside all thoughts of the future. There was just now. This moment. And it was near perfect.
Chapter 12
The next morning…
The sound of gulls overhead woke Veronica up, and she immediately reveled in the feeling of the warm body beside her. She lifted her head and saw Joel watching her from half-closed eyes.
“Good morning,” she murmured.
“Good morning. Sleep well?”
“Yes,” she replied with a smirk. “How about you?”
“Best night’s sleep I’ve had in ages.”
“What time is it?” she asked, wondering where her phone had gotten to.
“I’m guessing it must be around 8, given the sun’s been up for a while.”
Veronica nodded and then sat up as he unzipped the sleeping bag and pulled on his shirt. He handed her the blanket, and she wrapped it around herself. “Wish we had that bonfire now.”
“It’s a little chilly this morning.” Joel slipped into his boxers and jeans, shaking the sand from them thoroughly first, and then did the same with her clothing.
Her thong seemed to be MIA, and she finally shook her head, giving up, and slipped into the rest of her clothes, still feeling the bite of the cold afterward. “Brrr. It’s just downright cold.”
“Maybe that means winter’s going to arrive finally. Can you remember a November when it’s been this warm?”
“Not really. Especially right now.”
“The truck heats up pretty fast.”
She stood up and stamped her feet a few times to get the blood flowing. Joel shook out the blankets and then took her hand. “Let’s go to the truck. Your lips are turning blue.”
Veronica smiled at him and then let go of his hand and raced for the steps. She took them without stopping, hearing him coming right behind her, and minutes later, she was sitting in the truck, her hands held right in front of the vent.
“You are cold,” Joel commented, covering her hands with his own and chafing them to try and get them warm faster. “You should have said something.”
“I didn’t realize how cold it was until we started moving around. You’re like a furnace, and I was warm all night long.”
“How about I fix us some breakfast, and you can get in the shower to warm up once we’re back at my place?”
“Okay,” she readily agreed. She hated being cold, but it had been worth it to spend last night with Joel underneath the stars. That was a night she wouldn’t soon forget.
“What are your plans for the day?”
“I’m having lunch with my best friend, Steph, at noon. What about you?”
“Well, we were supposed to have the next two days off, but with several players injured, we’re playing next week with substitutes, and Coach called a short practice to give them a little extra time to become comfortable with the playbook. I need to be by the stadium by eleven.”
“Why don’t I just shower at my place that way neither one of us will be late?” Veronica suggested. She knew exactly what would happen if she were to shower at his place. He would join her, and they would both wind up being late.
Joel chuckled and nodded. “That’s probably the smartest thing that’s been said this day. But tonight, I’m taking you out to a sit-down dinner. I know this fabulous little Italian place.”
“Won’t same-day reservations be a problem?” she asked.
Joel shook his head, “Oh ye of little faith. The owners are personal friends of mine, and I’m not ashamed to say that all I have to do is give the hostess my name and they’ll find us a table.”
Veronica smiled, “So getting thrown to the ground time and again does have its benefits.”
“Getting tackled isn’t all that bad; it’s just knowing how to fall and making sure the other players aren’t taking cheap shots or hitting you illegally. That’s when the major injuries occur.”
“Well, it looked pretty brutal. If someone threw me down to the ground like that, I’d be black and blue for weeks.”
“That’s why guys play football and women watch. And before you bite my head off, that’s not a sexist statement, just facts. Women aren’t built for playing a full-contact sport like that.”
“What about the women’s football league?”
“Have you ever watched those girls play?” Joel asked as he pulled into his parking garage.
“No, but isn’t it the same thing you guys do?”
“Not quite. They don’t get tackled nearly as hard, and they don’t take as many risks by jumping to catch the passes and such. They do get injured just as often, though.”
“So, you’re insinuating we’re the weaker sex?” Veronica asked with an arched brow, enjoying their banter.
“Sweetheart, if last night was you being weak, you being strong would kill me. I mean you give birth; men would probably die trying. It’s just we’re different, that’s all.”
Veronica shook her head at his teasing and then gathered up her belongings while he came around to open her door. She hopped out of the truck and deposited her belongings in the backseat of her car. When she turned around, she found herself caged in by his strong arms.
“You should go shower, or you’re going to be late. Playing with sand in all the wrong places doesn’t sound very fun.”
“Thanks for reminding me, I was trying to forget how uncomfortable I am right now,” he joked and kissed her once, hard. “Get out of here, and I’ll see you tonight. I’ll be there to pick you up at six.”
“I’ll be ready, minus all of the sand that hid inside my clothing.”
“Regretting last night already?” he asked as she got into the vehicle.
“No way. It was completely worth it. Have a good practice.”
“I will. Enjoy spending time with your friend.” He backed away, and she pulled out of the parking spot and then headed home. She headed straight for the shower, stripping her clothes off as she went, knowing she’d need to sweep up the sand later, but not caring.
She took her time in the shower, shaving and scrubbing her skin until it glowed. Next, she took the time to style her hair, putting large curls into it so that they fell in soft waves around her head. She put on one of her nicest day dresses, feeling ultra-feminine today, and even exchanged her standard ballet flats for heeled boots.
Lastly, she did her makeup, and when she looked at her reflection, she was amazed at the transformation in herself. She was smiling, and it reached to her eyes. She seemed to have a glow about her, and she wondered if Steph would notice.
She shouldn’t have worried on that front. Not only did Steph notice, but she demanded an explanation.
“Alright, I don’t know what’s happened, but I want deets, right now.”
“Steph, what can I say? It’s Joel. The man is…amazing,” she ended on a happy sigh.
“Obviously,” Steph told her with a smile. “You look like you’re on top of the world.”
“I feel like that. He makes me feel things I’ve never felt before.”
“And that doesn’t scare you?”
Veronica shook her head, “No. Amazing, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
They ordered their salads and then ate for a bit before Steph asked, “So, you’ve changed your mind about the online dating apps?”
Veronica shook her head. “Not entirely, just the focus. I’m thinking it’s not the dating apps that are bad, but the regulations and the people they allow to utilize their services that cause the problems.”
“And you’re working on fixing that?” Steph asked.
Veronica smiled. “Of course.”
*****
Joel walked into practice, a silly grin on his face he couldn’t seem to get rid of. His teammates definitely noticed, as did the coaching staff. Not only was he in a great mood, but his performance during practice was almost perfect.
“Joel, I don’t know what happened between last night and this morning, but keep it up. If you play like that Sunday, we’re headed to the playoffs. For sure,” Coach told him before heading for the locker rooms.
Tauren, one of his fellow running backs, joined him on the bench and got straight to the point. “What are you taking?”
Joel smirked, “One brunette with an awesome personality and a great sense of humor.”
“Man, I’m happy for you. I’ve never seen you so on fire.”
“This feels amazing. I can see why all of you guys end up getting married if it feels like this.”
“So, you think this might be the one?”
Joel shrugged, “I don’t have a lot…hell, any experience, with long-term relationships, but yes. It feels like the real thing.”
“Good for you. Don’t mess it up,” Tauren advised with a laugh. “I’m headed for the showers. Got a date with my momma to be tonight.”
“When’s the baby due?”
“Right after the first of the year. Before the Super Bowl.”
“Which we are going to go to and win,” Joel told him as they bumped fists.
“You got that right,” Tauren told him. “See you Monday.”
“Monday,” Joel nodded at him. But before Monday came tonight, and he couldn’t wait. Only three more hours until he would see her again.
Damn, I’ve got it bad. This had better be the real deal.
Chapter 13
Later that day…
Joel picked Veronica up, and they headed to his favorite Italian restaurant — A’daggios. It wasn’t anything like Veronica had expected. More like a small little mom and pop operation — tucked away in an older part of the city than a glamorous gourmet restaurant, but the food was out of this world. The décor was vintage Italian farmhouse, much of it authentic and brought to the States by the proprietors, Gino and Victoria Saccorhia.
The minute they stepped into the restaurant, Veronica felt like she’d been transported across the Atlantic. Italian string music played softly, while the dim lighting and charming décor delighted the visual sense. But it was the smell of garlic, tomatoes, and spices that grabbed you when you first arrived.
“This place is amazing! How did you find it?”
“It’s a well-known secret amongst the players,” Joel murmured even as his name was called out as a petite woman grabbed him and hugged him tightly.
“Joel! When my Gino, he tells me you called to say you were coming tonight…well, I didn’t believe it until now.” She clasped his cheeks and kissed him soundly on the lips. “Welcome back.”
“Thanks, Victoria. I wanted you to meet my friend, Veronica.”
Victoria gave Joel a sly look and then turned her smile on Veronica, hugging her in the same fashion as she had Joel. “Welcome. Come, I have a table already set for you two.”
Veronica allowed herself to be led toward the back of the restaurant, smiling when she saw the curtained booth waiting for them. “This is very nice. Thank you.”
“Ah, any friend of Joel’s is a friend of mine. I will tell my Gino you are here.”
Joel helped Veronica into the booth, sliding in next to her instead of going to the other side. She didn’t mind being crowded, especi
ally when he placed one hand on her thigh and leaned over to kiss her. “What do you think?”
“If the food tastes as good as it smells, my thighs are going to hate you.”
Joel just grinned and handed her the menu, giving her a minute or two to look it over. “Do you know what you want?”
Veronica shook her head, “Not really. I love Italian food, so I’m game for anything.”
“Do you mind if I order for us both?” Joel asked.
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